Ice-boat



(NQ Model.)

J. MQGRATH.

ICE BOAT.

'- Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

WITNESSES: WWW/07L N 1vwmuM A TZORNEY U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MCGRATII, OF DANIII RY, (.ONNEC'IICUT.

ICE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,848, dated January 8, 1889.

Application filed April 25, 1888.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN MCGRATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to certain new and useful improvements in oars for ice-boats, and has for its object to provide such a device as shall readily propel a boat on the ice without cramping or necessitating any uneven stroke with the ear; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully described, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may under-' stand fully how to make and use the same, I will proceed to describe it in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective showing an ice boat fitted with ears made and attached in accordance with my improvement, and Fig. 9 an enlarged detail of the end of one of the ears.

Similar letters denote like parts in both figures of the drawings.

A is the body of the boat, and consists of the ordinary bob-sled provided with any suitable rudder, B.

C are Outriggers extending from the sled and having at their extremities upwardlyprojecting thole-pins D. s are braces extending from the heads of these pins to the sides of the sled and acting as auxiliary bearing-points for the oar-handles during the operation of rowing.

F are keepers, which consist of long rods fastened at one end to the oar-handles N, the other end being free.

G are safety-catches arranged on the oarhandles and adapted to slide over the free ends of the keepers, so as to confine the latter, for the purpose presently explained.

H are ferrules secured to the outer end of the ears and having pin projections I.

J are posts extending through said ferrules,

Serial No. 271,789. (No model.)

so as to turn freely therein, and K are the oar-blades secured to the bottom of said posts. These blades are chisel-edged, the straight side being turned outward to facilitate a firm grip on the ice.

L are cross-pins extending through the posts above the ferrules, and M are coil-springs connecting the pins I and the inner ends of the pins L.

In attaching the oars the thole pins are slipped through the keepers F and the safetyeatches then thrown over the ends of the keepers. The natural inward and outward play of the oars in rowing is permitted by the length ofthe keepers, as will be obvious.

After the ears have been swung back and the blades dropped 011 the ice the forward pull of said oars will cause the blades to turn against the resiliency of the springs M, which latter afford sufficient resistance to insure an even and regular stroke. Any disarrangcment of the oar-blade which might otherwise happen is obviated by the abutment of the cross-pins against the pins I.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an ice-sled, the Outriggers having at their extremities upwardly-projecting tholcpins, in combination with the oars having attached thereto keepers free at their outer ends, and the safety-catch adapted to slide on the oar-handles and close the keepers, substantially as set forth.

2. In an ice-boat, the combination, with the oar-handle having a ferrule at its outer end, of a swinging and resilient blade attached to said ferrule, substantially as shown and set forth.

The combination, with the oar-handle having a ferrule on its outer end, of the post extending upward through said ferrule, the oar-blade secured to the bottom of said post, the cross-pin extending through said post immediately above the ferrule, the pin projecting from said ferrule, and the coil-spring connecting the said pin and cross-pin, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I- affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MCGRATH.

\Vitn esses:

C. A. BRUSH, FRANK MoGR-ATE. 

